Dermal fillers are one of the most sought-after cosmetic treatments on the market. And if you’ve had an interest in the procedure, you probably did a little research on it and found many legit-looking warnings about its dangers. Is it safe to go for dermal fillers, or is it better to look for other options that achieve the same effect? This post focuses on the risks and safety of dermal fillers. We will tackle the side effects, potential complications, and dangers of dermal fillers. We will also discuss how to prevent those problems, should you still choose to get the treatment.
And if you’d instead look for other options, we will also lightly cover those. We will list other treatments that achieve the same results as dermal fillers.
What are Dermal Fillers?
Let’s briefly discuss what dermal fillers are so we are all on the same page. Dermal fillers are injectables that achieve several goals for the skin. First and foremost, they volumize the skin; secondly, they smoothen the skin by filling wrinkles and lines. Various dermal filler brands use different primary active ingredients, but the most popular one is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occurring substance that attracts and retains water. As we age, we naturally lose hyaluronic acid in the body, which manifests as signs of aging.
By injecting it beneath the skin, hyaluronic acid fills the spaces between the cells with moisture and makes the treatment site plumper. As the hyaluronic acid plumpens the skin around it, it also lifts the ridges that we see as fine lines or wrinkles. The result of dermal filler injection is fuller, plumper, smoother, and younger-looking skin.
At Tensegrity Health & Aesthetics, we primarily use Juvederm and Restylane dermal fillers. Both these brands use hyaluronic acid as their core active ingredient.
The Dangers of Dermal Fillers
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists all of the reported risks of dermal fillers. These risks are:
- Asymmetry
- Bleeding at the injection site
- Acne-looking eruptions around the treatment site
- Bruising
- Infection
- Swelling
- Slight pain
- Skin redness
- Rashes
- Incessant itching
- Lumps
- Wounds that can lead to scarring
- Palpability of filler beneath the skin
- Under or over-correction of fine lines and wrinkles
- Skin necrosis (ulceration or skin loss due to blood flow disruptions)
- Blindness
Of these potential dangers, redness, swelling, pain, bruising, itching, and rashes are expected side effects. These side effects are natural and will fade within two weeks of the injection. As you can see, there are several associated risks with dermal fillers. However, you have to wonder why it is still widely sought-after and administered by professionals despite its potential dangers.
Dermal Fillers are Only Dangerous Under the Wrong Hands
The FDA reviewed and approved the use of dermal fillers but only under strict regulations. One of those regulations is that only certified professionals can inject the substance into patients. Certified professionals know the risks and spend years training to do the procedure right. Furthermore, professionals know how to deal with complications should they occur. Under unskilled hands, the risk of more severe complications or side effects increases exponentially. For example, you may experience skin necrosis if the injector accidentally inserts the filler into one of your blood vessels or arteries.
Our skilled and highly-trained staff at Tensegrity Health & Aesthetics are certified to administer dermal filler injections.
How to Ensure Safety When Going for Dermal Fillers
If you still choose to get dermal fillers, you should be aware of how to ensure that the procedure will be successful.
Use Licensed, Highly-Trained, and Experienced Professionals
We’ve already lightly discussed the importance of licensed, trained, and experienced professionals when going for dermal filler treatment. Using licensed, trained, and experienced professionals are the only surefire way to ensure safety when going for dermal fillers. These experts will cover every potential cause of complications by assessing your needs, asking about your situation, and recommending solutions. These professionals can either be plastic surgeons, dermatologists, or registered nurses. Aside from doing the procedure correctly, these professionals can instruct you on how to take care of yourself after the treatment. They can provide consultations that will help you make the injection a success. They should inform you of the risks and dangers of the treatment and will only proceed with the procedure with your educated permission.
The trained injector should ask you about your medical conditions, medications, supplements you take, and any allergies you have so they can discuss your options. Conditions that make you ineligible for the treatment include:
- Inflamed skin due to rashes, hives, active acne, etc.
- Allergy to filler ingredients
- Bleeding disorder
- Pregnant or nursing
- Under 18 years old
- Skin is susceptible to scarring
Alternative Options for Dermal Fillers
If you don’t think dermal fillers are for you or a professional strongly suggests against it, you still have options. These alternative treatments combat signs of aging like facial wrinkles or skin dehydration with varying degrees of efficacy.
Microneedling
Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment that effectively and naturally lets your skin make itself healthier. It triggers the body’s self-repair systems that fill your skin with collagen. Collagen restructures the skin to make it firmer, more elastic, more youthful, erase scarring, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and more.
Facials
The many various types of facials can achieve many things for you. Eradicating fine lines and wrinkles, reducing scars, fighting hyperpigmentation, combating acne, and giving you a more radiantly youthful skin are just a few of its many abilities.
Evoke Facial Contouring
Evoke facial contouring is a revolutionary non-invasive treatment that reshapes the cheeks and jowls to produce aesthetic results. It restructures tissue organization and renews the skin using bipolar radiofrequency (RF) energy. Plus, it encourages collagen production to help maintain your skin’s youthful qualities.
Get in Touch with Tensegrity Health & Aesthetics for Your Options
Tensegrity Health & Aesthetics offers free consultations about dermal fillers and all of your aesthetic needs. Get in touch with our staff through our Contact Us page, phone at 207-337-9851, or email hello@tensegrityhealth.sprucecare.com. You can also visit us at One Cumberland Place, Suite 114, Bangor, Maine.
